asked the Taoiseach if the statement made in a reply of 17th May, 1961, by the Minister for External Affairs regarding the Irish attitude to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation still represents the policy of the Government on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Attitude to NATO.
2.
What the Minister for External Affairs said was: "The decision not to join NATO was taken in 1949 by the then Government and the present Government has never considered altering that decision."
As I stated on 14th February, the question of joining NATO has not been considered by the Government. There has been no proposal or request which would require such consideration.
I assume there is no change from what the Minister said? The Taoiseach has not quoted the entire reply given by the Minister for External Affairs on that occasion.
I quoted the reply so far as it related to the question of NATO membership.
Right now, the Taoiseach has merely quoted part of the reply.
I am quoting the whole of the reply that is relevant.
I suggest the second paragraph is equally relevant.
May I ask the Taoiseach, in connection with this question, whether the statement still represents Government policy in view of the fact that Government policy is based on the interpretation of Article 4 of NATO——
The Deputy is not going to get that question in that fashion. The Deputy will resume his seat.
May I ask, in order to elucidate Government policy, whether the present position is that the Government have not applied for membership of NATO; nobody has asked them to adhere to NATO and that it is not the Government's policy to depart in any way from the policy which has been accepted by all Parties in this House for the last twelve years?
I was asked if a statement of fact made by the Minister for External Affairs last year was still true. As I have already indicated to the House in reply to a question earlier in this session, the facts remain as they were then.
The Minister for External Affairs on that occasion did relate the question of neutrality to our application for membership of NATO. I assume the policy in that respect has not changed?
What the Minister for External Offairs made was a statement of facts of the situation——
It was not; it was a statement of policy in which the Minister for External Affairs said they intended to pursue the policy of neutrality within the United Nations.
The Deputy may put down another question about it if he wishes but, before doing so, I suggest he should read the reply——
I have it in front of me.
——that I have quoted.
The Taoiseach only quoted part of the reply.
I quoted the relevant part.
It mentions NATO in the second paragraph.
We have more than one Minister for Lands, apparently.
And more than two Labour leaders, obviously.
I did not know the Minister was there.